Green Living Now

Nationally recognized Green Living Expert/Consultant & Green Mom, Amy Todisco, shares her research and experience of living a greener healthier life for the past 20 years. Amy makes green living easy and fun with loads of tips and suggestions to...

What are 3 things you can teach other moms to make their lives more eco-friendly?

Where is your favorite place to shop for eco-friendly products?

Amy's Answers

What's an easy, eco-friendly habit that could help families save money?

I know this sounds incredibly easy and almost silly, but turning off the lights when you are not using them, as well as putting your computers, TV's, etc. on a power strip and turning them off nightly.
Why?
I have a home that I'm trying to sell which is currently empty. Turns out that one light left on used 4 kw of electricity per day, which translated into approximately $10 for one week. (The light was inadvertently left on.) Quite shocking to think that one light could use so much electricity.
Also, computers, TV's, DVD players, and other electronics that are plugged in 24/7 are considered "energy vampires". They use energy even when we are not using them.
Amy Todisco
Green Living Expert
www.greenlivingnow.com

What's a great cleaning product you've discovered?

I love therapeutic grade essential oils-lemon is terrific for removing sticky stuff. Add some olive oil with the lemon essential oil and you've got a great wood cleaner/polish.
Organic castile soap, VT Soap Company in particular, is my fave. Great for cleaning your body, also does laundry for chemically sensitive folks, and can do floors, toilets, etc. The added essential oil fragrances are awesome.
Yes, baking soda and vinegar are tops. Grapefruit Seed Extract is also a terrific disinfectant. Mix with water. Just a few drops will do it.
There are so many great natural cleaning alternatives. Sadly, the Method brand really isn't very natural (look on the label for the hard to pronounce chemical ingredients). Mrs. Meyers brand also seems to contain some synthetics. So many companies trying to get on the green bandwagon...

What is your best tip for keeping the bathroom clean?

I don't like to use any toxic synthetic chemicals to clean anything, so my best tip involves using pure castile soap and either baking soda or Bon Ami powder to clean everything in the bathroom. Also, I'm a huge fan of pure essential oils (I use the therapeutic grade ones which are purer and more effective--they also have healing benefits, beyond cleaning benefits) such as tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, peppermint, lemon, and orange. Or any scent that you like.
www.greenlivingnow.com
Amy Todisco, Green Living Expert

What are some creative ways that a bride can involve children in her wedding day?

There is the traditional flower girl and ring bearer role that children can fill. When I got married, we included my stepson as the ring bearer. My daughter was a flower girl at a wedding where she walked down the aisle and deposited rose petals.
Depending upon the age of the child, perhaps if they are old enough (mature enough) they could read a special passage from a book, or a poem that had meaning for the bride and groom.
If there is an especially talented young person who can sing or play an instrument, maybe they can sing a song with the band or play their musical instrument.
-Amy Todisco